What we talk about when we talk about recruitment

Academics tempted to join the research office shouldn’t be discouraged by inexperience, says Jonathan O’Donnell

Recently, I started a new job. One of the first things on my to-do list was to employ someone to work with me. In this article, I thought it might be useful to reflect on the recruitment process, particularly for academics who are looking for an alternative academic job (an ‘alt-ac job’ as some people call it)—an administrative job within a university environment.

Hiring, like everything, is cultural. Different countries do it differently. I’ve spent most of my working life as an administrator at Australian universities, helping academics with their research grants. All I can draw on is my own experience. Please keep in mind that this may not necessarily translate to your situation.